Title: A method of product improvement by integrating FA with TRIZ software tools

Authors: Zhongsheng Hua, Feihua Huang, Wei Wang

Addresses: Department of Information Management and Decision Science, School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China. ' Department of Information Management and Decision Science, School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China. ' DDepartment of Information Management and Decision Science, School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China

Abstract: A method of integrating Functional Analysis (FA) with TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) software tools is proposed to assist engineers in finding innovative solutions to technical problems in product development. The product|s functions and components are deployed into a pair of hierarchical trees respectively, which indicate the corresponding relationships between them. Components that need to be innovated are specified by applying a House of Quality (HOQ) analysis on customers| demands. Technical innovation is then executed by applying TRIZ software tools. Finally, the efficiency of the method is demonstrated by using a case of fully automatic washing machines.

Keywords: TRIZ; functional analysis; tree structure; product improvement; product development; inventive problem solving; innovation; house of quality; automatic washing machines.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2007.011538

International Journal of Product Development, 2007 Vol.4 No.1/2, pp.122 - 135

Published online: 01 Dec 2006 *

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